When you want to find a good price for a vacation, you often find it in the off season. Long Island Railroad tickets to the city? Cheaper when you can go off-peak. It all comes down to the basic idea that demand drives price. While there are many factors that drive the price of heating oil—weather, geopolitics, the price of crude oil—the same principle holds. When demand is lower, heating oil prices fall. That makes the months of April to September the best time to purchase home heating oil.
Saving money is only one benefit of filling up your heating oil tank in the spring and summer. Here are three excellent benefits that might surprise you:
It’s true: When your heating oil tank sits empty, condensation will form on the interior walls. Because water is denser than heating oil, that water drips down and sinks to the bottom of the tank, where it becomes an ideal environment for bacteria and other microorganisms. Over time, it turns into sediment or sludge that can corrode your tank from the inside out—a big problem that could be difficult to see coming and costly to remediate. That’s why keeping your fuel tank full over the summer will extend its life.
Sediment and sludge that forms at the bottom of an empty tank can get into your fuel lines and clog them up. This will cause your heating system to shut down, probably next winter, when we’re in the middle of a deep freeze. You’ll need a potentially expensive emergency repair to de-gunk the lines.
Because your tank never stays empty for long in the winter, these issues don’t come up. And, condensation is less likely to form in colder temps. But in summer, especially if your tank is outside, condensation will form quickly. Of course, if you’re a Gold Plan member with automatic deliveries, we’ll make sure you’re topped off for the summer.
How quickly do the lazy days of summer turn into the crazy-busy days of fall? Back to school, end of vacation, all those pre-winter chores. When your tank is full in the fall, you won’t have to fight for a convenient heating oil delivery appointment at the same time everyone else is trying to get a delivery. You’ll also be ready for those early cold snaps. While you’re at it, schedule your heating system tune-up in the spring. Not only will you have your choice of appointments, but the benefits won’t wear off over the summer.
The dog days of summer linger into autumn, and temperatures are usually lovely during the day—ocean temps in the Sound are perfect for those bonus beach days. But evenings start to get crisp. It’s not too late to schedule a fill up—contact the team at Southville today to take advantage of “off-season” pricing today.